Stringed musical instrument.



35 cor-dance with the pri No. como?.

To ali whom concern:

Be it known that CHARLES nnron i LESPEE, a citizen o tbe'United Stetes, residing at Buford, in tbe countryT it?. l .os

State of North Dakota, have infr ated c.

and nsefui improvements in Stringed Mnsicai Instruments, of which the oiioedng is speciiication.

This invention relates inosica instr-aments and it bas partiouiar reference to that class of niusicai instrumen-1s which the sound is produced by tbe vibration of strings that are set in notion either by means of bow, as in yioiin, or by picking tb tbe 1.5 ingers, as in a guitar, a banjo, or rbandoiin.

' The invention bas rfor its object to increase the yoi'onie vand to improve the .iity of tbe sound; and with these and other ends in View which Wiii readiiy appear as the nature of the 2o invention is better understood, tbe saine consists in the improved construction and noyei arrangementv and combination oi parts which will be hereinafter ini-ly described and par ticuiariy pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying dravy'inp1 has been iiiustrated a simple and preferred form oi tbe invention; it being, however, understood t? no limitation is necessariiy made to tbe precise structural dota-iis therein exhibited, but

3o that chances, alterations and modifications i mi ig, A t or a musicai instrinnenI ,onai indicated by 'the 1s a longitudinal dicated by the iine #Ew-i in 3. o Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional detail View, iiiustrating a rriodication. Fis. 6 is a transverse sectional detail View, illustrating a 'furtber 4.5 modification.

C0 respondin parts in tbe several i'igures are denoted by ike characters of reference.

The invention consists essentiaiiy in coinbining with the neck, `ringer board, tail piece and bridge of an ordinary inged instrument, such as a violin, a banjo, or a guitar, a

soundinj box, such as that used in connection Wit 1 an ordinary phonograph, containing sound producing riiapi11a ms, and horns for the purpose or increasing tire yoiuine ot the sound: it understood that within of tne invention may be rey on the plane in suitabiy connected.

` noon which the bridge 4 is su?)` c scope of iti@ oor; may be co1 g `xrings to ebow the 2, body 3, bridge i and adjacent the diapnragros, horns being preferabiy so disposed as to diverge in a rearwar i direetion, seid horns are aise preferably connected by means of a cross-bar or brace 1l 'with which the rear end of the j 3, 'which is equipped with a chin. rest i12; is Tire diapingnrs 8 are connected by means or" fastening members such o s screws i3 with a trazisiniss' in arfin consisting of a i. ,inverted "ibar 14,

of Wiiicii is by the sc ir ci which projects throng 5 in 'the waii or body ci the souneing box and carries at its opper end. a Gross bar nir of the 3F-bar i@ josef in lugs 'i7 upon tb s royided with jam nut u nay be secu reiy aincd Under the modification. itin-streiten Fig. the screws 16, ings 17 and jam nuts 1ry are nsedwitb, and the or f bar of the i provided with L -siiapod notch 1.9 knife edged 111g 2 foi-ined. upon wail ci' the sounding box.

'Under the further modification iliustrated in 6 oi the drawings,the die -wins 5%- atre soitabiy connected {viti} independent transmission bars 2-1-21 extending; through apertures in the Waii of the sounding box and provided with terminal brackets 22?, tbc undersides of which are provided with J- siiaped notches engaging' knife edged lugs Za noon the wait of the sounding box; said brac rots 22 are `provided on their upper sides y"itb knife edged lugs 25 upon which a bridge ivrefdesignated 2G may be directiysupported;

rm of tbe invention is considered partiiis i brews i5 adtieuiarly applicable to instruments wherein l thri'uigh the wall oi the sounding hon and a bridge oi iarger dimensions than that oi" an horns eoin'ieoted with the sounding hon, n

ordinary vioiin is used, such as, for instance, the l'iridge of a guitar.

- The strings are appiied, and pino-od under tension in. the well known n'ianiier which is oonunon to anyv oi the Various stringed instruments. when the strings aro vihrated, the vibrations are transmitted through the transmission har or hars H or 2i the Case may he, to the dialgihragins 8, and the sound i Waves are discharged through the horns with very pleasing and satisfaetor)P results.

Having thus 'fully described the invention, what I olaini is 1. A inusioal ii'istruinont including a sounding box having a diapliraOni, a transmission har connected with the diaplii'agiii and extending through tliewail of the sounding box, lugs up on the latter, holding inen'ioers ustaole in the luUs and engaging the transmission han', a bridge supported upon vthe transmission har, and strings supported hy the bridge.

A musical instrument including duwen sounding box having a pair of diapln'a-gins a transmission bar extending bridge suiiiported upon the iransiniy connected with the diaphragins, a pair of 'ion har, and a. 'plurality of strings under tension, said strings boing supported intermediate the ends thereoil hij the bridge.

3. A niusieal instrument, comprising a neck. a 'lhiger `hoard andn body, a duplex sounding. box Connected with the body and lia-ving a `oair ol'V diaplirugins, pair of horns connected with and diverging rearwardljyT 'from the sounding hox, a hraoe oonneoting the horns, transmission bar connected with the diaphragins and extending through the Wall oi the sounding box, a bridge su ported upon the transmission har, and a purality oi' strings under tension, said strings heing supported intermediate their ends upon the bridge.

in testimony whereof, i aiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. CHARLES BENTON Giliidlalrl Vr'itnesses:

OSWAL'D R. RonLLiG, EDWARD J. Coni. 

